Top cook Matthew Cheal is celebrating scooping the Young Chef of the Midlands title with his pan-fried fillets of red mullet and pineapple and passion-fruit pudding.

Top cook Matthew Cheal is celebrating scooping the Young Chef of the Midlands title with his pan-fried fillets of red mullet and pineapple and passion-fruit pudding.

The 21-year-old - who is partial to a humble hamburger on his day off - works at Simpson?s Restaurant in Warwick Road, Kenilworth.

It was there that head chef Luke Tipping and sous chef Glynn Purnel encouraged him to take part in the annual competition entered by the region?s most promising cooks, who all have to be aged 23 or under.

As part of his prize Matt is now looking at a week?s work experience in a top French restaurant. He also won a set of chef ?s knives and #250.

He said: ?I?m really looking forward to the work experience but I guess I?ll have to do a bit of travelling as I already work in the only restaurant in the area with a Michelin star.?

Judges of the competition, sponsored by food giant Nestle, insisted that Matt?s menu for two had to include red mullet and guinea fowl. His final ready-steady-cook decision was to pan fry the fillets of fish and serve them with goat?s cheese and tortellini rocket, green beans and red pepper coulis.

For the main course Matt served a pot-roast guinea fowl with confit carrot, potatoes and tarragon sauce followed by white chocolate mousse with aromatic pineapple brochette and passion-fruit sauce.

He said: ?I am completely stunned at winning as it was so tough on the day and cooking in a strange kitchen made it even more nerve-racking.

?Despite all that I?m over the moon and would recommend any other young chef to get involved in this competition.?

And what does Matthew, who comes from Henley-in-Arden and now lives in Water Orton with his girlfriend Emma, cook on his day off?